Perhaps the best indication of what’s important for these Knicks — or what’s most relevant to their status as either contenders or pretenders — was the theme of Wednesday night’s postgame locker room interviews.

New York Knicks President Leon Rose wanted to go big this offseason. Instead of building a roster considered one of the deepest in the league, Rose opted to go for the star power needed to compete with the Boston Celtics and other top contenders around the league.

In a tightly-contested Tuesday matchup, the New York Knicks took down its crosstown rival Nets, 99-95. New York has been fueled by its core four of Jalen Brunso